A Normal Journey
by nfcflare
Summary: Given a name he doesn't want, a goal he doesn't want, and a pokemon he doesn't want, Flare just wants to have a normal journey. After a chance encounter with someone who holds the opposite ideals, he decides that the best way to have a normal journey is to take that phrase literally. Romance, hardship, and a fear of fighting types? Maybe this is a normal journey.
1. Chapter 1

A normal life. Catching Pokemon, battling his friends, challenging gym leaders, and making his name known throughout Unova. That was all Flare wanted.

If you were being technical, he'd accomplished one of those goals. Everyone in Unova, or at the very least, everyone in Accumula Town, had heard of Flare. Although it's not uncommon to be raised as a trainer, it's uncommon to be forced into training one type of Pokemon.

Sure, there were trainers who adored certain types, and adhered to one type like a religion, but few had their birth name decide that type. Even the gym leaders would often use nicknames relating to their types, or in rare cases, some would change their names to match their theme. None were born with their Pokemon teams in mind.

Regardless of this, Flare's name meant he was shoehorned into being a fire type trainer. Training from birth, at the age of 18, he finally set off to conquer the league challenge, and to defeat true evil with the help of the legendary dragon, Reshiram.

Except that isn't quite what happened. In fact, that isn't what happened at all. Maybe it would be better to start at the beginning...

* * *

The bright light was a rude awakening. If you asked Flare, he'd swear up and down that his father had designed the room exclusively to annoy him. The walls were painted with legendary fire type Pokemon, and his lone window had various stickers adorning it, ranging from pictures of Flint, his father's favorite Elite Four member, to stickers that simply stated a fact, "Fire is hot!" With the light installation being brighter than the sun itself, and the door having no lock, Flare could find nothing positive about his abode, save for the lavish furniture. However, his disdain for the room was quickly pushed aside by the sudden impact to his chest. Although Flare hoped it was his partner giving him a morning jumpstart, his inspection revealed it to be a backpack.

"Uh...I did wake up, right?"

"Yes Flare, you woke up. You woke up to the greatest day of your life!"

"Is it the day you finally stop asking me to beg Professor Juniper for a Tepig, or the day my father stops breaking into my room?"

"Son, it isn't breaking in if the door isn't locked. As for the answer, today is the day you leave for your journey to become the strongest fire type trainer in Unova, accompanied by your starter Pokemon, Tepig, with gear so lovingly packed by your father, and enough pokeballs to catch every fire type between here and Twist Mountain."

It was here, among his father's poor impression of an audience cheering, that Flare realised his day was going south rapidly. His only hope was to talk his way out of this predicament.

"That sounds great, but, I don't have a trainer's license, nor do I have a Tepig."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. Behold, exhibit A: your trainer's license, already registered and and signed, and exhibit B: a mysterious pokeball, containing a pokemon from Professor Juniper."

It was here that Flare realised his day had already gone south.

"Dad, have you considered that you may be a little too obsessed with fire types? Like, obsessed to the point of forcing your son to become a fire type trainer against his will?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"Just wondering. So, I don't suppose I have a choice in this matter?"

"You have a choice. Become a trainer, or pay the rent some other way."

"Rent? Although I fear the answer, I'm curious to know how much this rent is."

"7,000,000."

"Every month?"

"Every week."

"Give me five minutes to pack my personal belongings, then we'll part ways out front."

"I knew you'd see my point, son. I'll tell your mother you were happy to accept."

With that last lie, Flare's father left the room, giving Flare his chance. Wasting no time, he went to his dresser, pulling out the bottom drawer. He dug through the clothes, noting that his favorite shirts had been removed from the top, leaving only his old shirts in the drawer.

Flare couldn't have asked for a better outcome.

Reaching towards the back, Flare grabbed a loose screw, and pulled it to the right, revealing his goal.

A single premier ball, polished and clean, sat in the back of the drawer. Reaching in, Flare took the ball, handling it with the same care one would handle a baby. Inside the ball was his partner he'd kept hidden for the past two years.

Today, he and his partner would finally start their adventure.

* * *

Moments later, Flare stood with his parents in the front of his home. Although his home was somewhere he'd tried to avoid, Flare couldn't help but feel sad about leaving.

If only that feeling applied to his parents. His mother held a look of indifference, although Flare attributed that to their shared morning experience, judging by his mother still wearing her pajamas. Meanwhile, his father held an excited expression. An outsider would have likely believed that his father was adventuring long before they would believe that Flare was. Nevertheless, the truth was that Flare was leaving, and he was leaving soon.

"Remember son, you can't become the best fire type trainer and defeat the champion without catching a whole lot of fire types, so make sure you catch 'em all!"

"Thanks Dad."

"Well son, good luck, have fun, and make sure to call."

"I will mom."

"Honey, don't you have something you wanted to tell Flare before he left?"

"Hmm...I mentioned his goals."

"Your goals."

"I mentioned his dreams."

"Aren't those the same thing, dad?"

"Oh! Right. Son, just remember the most important rule. Use protection."

"What the... I'm... I'm just gonna leave. See ya later. I'll... I'll make sure to listen, I guess?"

Taking this awkward exchange as a good sign, Flare quickly left the premises, waving goodby as he walked away.

"Honey, wasn't that a bit of weird advice to give to your son for his journey?"

Flare's father seemed surprised at this statement.

"What? Protect is an excellent move to use in a tough battle. It's saved many of the best trainers from a crushing defeat."

"Honey...maybe you should take up a hobby..."

* * *

After ensuring he was far from his home, Flare dug into his pack, taking the premier ball from within. After a quick examination, Flare released his partner from his spherical home. After a few moments, a small rodent, with brown fur, stood in front of Flare.

"Well Hunter, ready to start our adventure?"

Although Flare couldn't understand, it was clear that his partner's loud, "Patrat!" was a sign of agreement. Starting down the road, Flare believed that maybe, just maybe, his adventure could still be normal.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This story takes place after the events of Black and White, occurring around three months after the end of the games.

* * *

Flare had only been on his journey for two hours, and he was already certain that some higher power had it out for him. It was normal to see only a few pokemon in the area, due to the younger trainers catching every pokemon they came across. It was not normal to see zero pokemon, wild or trained. The younger trainers had caught everything, only to be driven away by the veteran trainers searching for the hero that lived in the area.

Due to this, Flare had no way to judge Hunter's strength. He knew his partner could handle himself in a pinch, but he had zero battle experience. His partner could be in the top percentage of Patrat, or he could be the weakest of his species. Well, it didn't matter. Natural strength only meant so much. With training, Flare was certain his partner could take on even the legendary dragons. Still, a battle would have been good to calm Hunter's restlessness.

"Hey, bud. You don't have to be so watchful anymore. We don't have to worry about my dad finding out about you when we're out here."

His partner nodded, but Flare could tell he was still scanning the area. Well, more than a Patrat normally would. Flare was worried that the new surroundings were making his friend nervous.

"Why don't we stop for a little? It'll give us a chance to eat something, and if we get lucky, we might even see a pokemon while we wait. Besides, we're making good time. At this rate, we'll reach Striaton City long before sunset."

Before his partner had a chance to answer, the sky responded to his suggestion with a low rumble, culminating in a flash of lightning from the distance. A storm. A rare occurrence in this area. Definitely not normal. Instead of waiting for the rain to drive them to shelter, Flare and Hunter rushed to the edge of the path, ducking under a nearby tree.

"Guess that's our answer, huh?"

His partner's glare made it clear that his sarcasm was unwanted in this situation.

"Heh. Sorry bud. Tell you what; to make it up to you, I'll be your lookout while you eat."

His partner perked up at this. He nodded excitedly at this deal. Flare made a mental note to help his friend break his habit, but right now, he'd indulge him.

"Alright then. I'm gonna work on making shelter before the rain picks up. Can you keep watch while I'm working? Just call out if something comes up, kay?"

His partner answered him with a short, "Pat," turning to face the path they'd left. Flare could already see his tail stiffening up, ready to signal any danger, although Flare wouldn't know what the signal would mean. Luckily, his partner was quite loud when it came to signaling, so he wasn't worried.

Setting his bag down, Flare took the moment to check what gear his father had packed. He noted that there were several empty pouches for any future acquisitions. The main pouch held a change of clothes, a small tarp, a flashlight, and a plastic bag, likely containing his lunch. Taking the tarp and the lunch, Flare took note of the red hair dye at the bottom of the bag, the first thing packed. With a heavy sigh, Flare closed his bag. With a cursory glance, he quickly noted that the best spot for his tarp would be resting upon some of the tree's lower branches.

"I'm gonna put this tarp up in the branches. If I fall, you'll catch me, right bud?"

His partner only glanced towards him before shaking his head and returning to his lookout duty.

Flare chuckled before beginning his climb up the tree. It only took him a few seconds to reach a suitable height for his tarp. He draped the tarp over the branches, making a rough estimate of the tarp's size for future reference. Once he was finished, he took a moment to reflect on his current predicament. With no training, he stood a poor chance against the Striaton Gym. Even if he could train in the nearby Dreamyard, with only Hunter, he'd be unlikely to win. His best bet was to find more pokemon, but that wasn't an option at the moment.

"Hmm…maybe if I train Tepig, he can handle one-"

His train of thought was derailed by a loud, "Patrat!" from below him. Deep in his thoughts, he'd completely forgotten about his partner, and it was clear that something had happened while he was gone. He quickly moved to descend the tree, his mind racing. Although Team Plasma was stopped recently, rouge members were still trying to steal pokemon. There was also the possibility that someone had wanted to steal from his bag. Regardless of why, he knew he'd owe his partner for leaving him alone for this long, assuming they got out of this predicament.

Dropping from the lowest branch, Flare was surprised at what he saw. Standing across from his partner was a Pansear, looking tired, but well prepared for a fight. Behind the Pansear was a girl, wearing clothes clearly meant for a colder climate. In his information gathering rush, Flare only briefly noted that her hair was dyed, as the roots of her hair still showed their natural caramel hue. He also noticed that she jumped when he descended. She must have thought that Hunter was a wild pokemon, meaning she was a trainer looking for a new pokemon. Flare almost felt excited. Finally, something normal.

Flare briefly allowed himself the hopeful thought that this is where his normal journey would start.

The girl was the first to break the silence, asking normal questions, such as, "Who are you?" and, "Is this your pokemon?"

Flare quickly responded, "Yes, he is my pokemon. Are you a trainer?"

Like an angel of normalcy, she answered, "Yes, I am."

Flare could hardly contain his excitement. His prayers had been answered. He'd met a normal trainer, in a normal situation. He let his excitement take him with his next question.

"Wanna battle?"

The girl's expression shifted from apprehension to a small smile. This was it. Flare could already tell that she'd accept. He'd have his first battle. A normal battle.

The girl responded, "Very well. I will indulge in a battle. But know this; the ashes of this battle will join the others upon my head."

Flare's excitement faded quickly, and he couldn't stop himself from letting out a quiet, "No."

"I'm afraid it is far too late to decline, sir. Fate has already decided that we must fight, and that you must burn."

"Please tell me this is a joke."

"I never tell jokes. We are beginning now. Behold, and watch in awe, as my partner brings forth a grand flame. Flame King, unleash your Ember!"

The Pansear, or as the devil had called him, Flame King, shot out a few small flames, which fizzled out long before reaching Hunter.

"If you're going to say something that stupid, at least pay attention to what's happening around you. You'll never win when it's raining."

The girl scoffed, "My partner could never lose. He is simply waiting to see what you do before unleashing his true power. Go on, and try to strike him. I'll pay my respects to your ashes soon."

Flare glanced at Hunter, who seemed equally annoyed with their guests. Flare sighed, and uttered a simple command.

"Hunter, Tackle."

With a cry, his partner rushed forward, slamming into the opposing Pansear, knocking him to the ground. The girl gasped, almost alarmed at how easily her partner had been hit. Flare, however, was more excited than surprised. Unless this girl was vastly overestimating her pokemon, Hunter had just gotten a hit on a powerful foe. Unfortunately, Flare's unlucky streak held up.

"Flame King, return now and rest."

The girl held up a pokeball, returning the defeated monkey to it. She sighed, and walked towards Flare before kneeling in front of him.

"You have defeated me. I will not ask you to spare my life, but I will humbly request a quick death."

"What? What do you think this is, the middle ages? Listen, I just want my winnings and then-"

Flare was interrupted by the sound of thunder, which made both Hunter and the crazy woman jump. The girl took this opportunity to respond, stating meekly, "I have no money, and therefore, I shall pay with my life."

"Then I'd prefer if you just leave," Flare continued, ignoring the girl's insane logic.

"Of course. This rain is nothing compared to bathing in ashes."

As if laughing at her, the rain began to pour harder than before.

Flare begin to feel guilty, but he couldn't risk his normal journey to help one girl. He quickly responded, "If the rain is nothing, then you should leave. Fast."

The rain started pouring even harder.

"Yes, I will leave. I humbly thank you for sparing me."

The downpour was nearly indistinguishable from the ocean at this point. Regardless, the girl stood up to leave. Flare watched her walk away. He felt like it would have been more merciful to kill her. Perhaps it was this feeling that led him to make a decision he knew he'd regret.

"Hey," he called to her, "Why don't you stay here until the rain stops?"

Flare hated everything about this girl, but he couldn't let her walk into the rain. It wouldn't be normal.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the long wait.

* * *

"So, that's when I met Mewtwo, and he told me I had to defeat the legendary dragons to prove my strength."

"Oh, really? Was that before or after you fought every gym leader in Kalos at once?"

The girl scoffed, clearly offended by Flare's lack of belief.

"You're just jealous that my life is so amazing."

"Sure. If you say so."

Flare sighed. He wasn't a fan of this girl. Instead of doing something normal, like exchanging a greeting, or thanking Flare for sharing his food, she chose to regale Flare with stories of her life. Flare wouldn't have minded learning more about the mysterious guest, but the stories she told conflicted far too often for Flare to believe they were real, which only made Flare far more annoyed. Fortunately for Flare, things were looking up.

"Hey, the rain is letting up."

Flare nearly leapt with excitement. He could finally get away from this strange girl. He could finally continue on his journey.

"Good. Well, this has been...interesting, but I really have to get going if I want to make it to Striaton before nightfall. So, uh, I'm gonna pack up and go. Good luck with your hunt for the dragons and whatnot."

Flare didn't wait for the girl's response, instead opting to turn around and pack up. After he gathered his belongings into his pack, he turned around, only to notice something odd.

"Hey, did you return your Pansear?"

The girl appeared confused. "No, I didn't. He should have been right here, and he doesn't run off without a reason."

"Alright...no need to panic. I'm sure Hunter saw where he went. I'll ask him. Hey, Hunter!"

Flare awaited his partner's response. The light splashes of the rain seemed deafening compared to the silence of the forest.

"Maybe...maybe he didn't hear me. Hunter! Buddy?"

The forest surrounding the road seemed to be frozen in time. The stillness would have calmed Flare in any other situation, but now it only frightened him.

"Um...ok. It's fine. They're fine. Right?"

The girl's lack of response did little to calm Flare's nerves.

"Ok. We need to find them. They must have gone into the forest, right? So...we just need to look. They couldn't have gone far. Ok?"

The girl didn't acknowledge Flare's ramblings, but she started off into the forest regardless. Accepting this as a yes, Flare followed her. His mind was racing. What had happened to his partner? Had he followed the girl's Pansear on a short walk? Had they been snatched by Pokemon thieves? Had they simply gotten lost? Flare's mind burned with questions. In his distracted state, he failed to notice that the girl has stopped, and he kept walking. He only returned to reality after he felt something crash into his leg.

"Ow! What the hell was that?" Flare shouted, holding his leg.

He glanced down, seeing a small, light brown pup. A Lillipup, a common sight in the area. Flare looked around, noting another few Lillipup in the small clearing he found himself in, as well as his partner, along with the girl's Pansear, being watched by a smaller group of Lillipup.

Behind him, the girl shouted, "You idiot! Why didn't you stop when I said something?"

Flare noted that the girl had traces of an accent when she shouted. Brushing that aside, Flare responded, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. It's fine though. We found them, and we can take a few Lillipup down."

The girl sighed, "I'm glad you're confident, but have you stopped to think about way these Lillipup are together?"

Flare thought briefly, before he realized what she meant.

"Oh, these are part of a family, aren't they?"

Before the girl could respond, two more light brown dogs, with dark blue fur on their torso, emerged from the forest, growling at Flare and the pokemon. Flare backed away from the main group of Lillipup, joining the girl at the edge of the clearing. Hunter and the Pansear huddled at the opposite end of the clearing, surrounded by the Lillipup. The Herdier joined the group facing Flare, standing in front of their children.

"So, you got us into this, so what's your plan to get us out?"

"Well, Hunter and your Pansear can take those Lillipup, assuming the rain doesn't start again. That just leaves the Herdier, and my other Pokemon can't take on two of them."

"Don't worry, I have another Pokemon as well. She hasn't seen much action though."

"Well, no better training than a fight like this, right?"

The girl let out a small laugh before reaching for a Poke Ball on her belt. Flare did the same, grabbing Tepig's Poke Ball. Flare glanced at the group of Lillipup surrounding his partner. He counted at least seven of the small dogs, a manageable number.

"Hunter, work with Pansear to take out the Lillipup. Just try not to show him up too much, alright?"

Flare took his partner's jubilant cry as a yes. Flare couldn't help but share his partner's excitement. This would not only be a chance to train, but it would be his first real battle.

"Zayila, come on out!"

Flare watched as a small, grey bird appeared between the girl and one of the Herdier. A Pidove, likely caught recently.

"Not quite what I expected her to have, but I suppose I can't judge," Flare said, tossing Tepig's ball from his hand, with his starter pokemon materializing quickly.

Tepig seemed confused, likely due to having never left his Poke Ball, but he quickly took a fighting stance after seeing his opponent. He glanced towards Flare, waiting for the order to attack. Across the clearing, Hunter stood back-to-back with Pansear, ready to strike. The girl's Pidove, apparently named Zayila, spread its wings, preparing a Gust attack. All of the Lillipup watched their parent Herdier closely, watching for a signal. Suddenly, as though a switch had been flipped, the battle broke out.

Flare could tell this was going to be fun.


End file.
